The Forest Jobs and Recreation Act passed out of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee on Dec. 19, advancing a years-long campaign to protect almost a million acres of incredible backcountry throughout western Montana, including over 600,000 acres of new Wilderness Area.

As of March 1, cuts – known as sequestration – will be affecting every federal agency, including the National Park Service, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Forest Service and other environmental agencies.